Putting candles on birthday cakes has been an integral part of birthday celebration. Apart from being a ritual that gives everyone a jolt of joy, do you know the reasons behind it?
The tradition can be traced back to Ancient Greece when people often made offerings of candles to pay tribute to the Greek moon goddess, Artemis. They made round cakes to signify the moon. Candles were then placed on the cakes to represent the moonlight or the torch carried by Artemis lighting the way for others. In Germany, a candle put on a cake was to symbolise the beacon of life. The smoke from blowing out of the burning candle would deliver birthday wishes to gods up in heaven.
Nowadays, we still continue the tradition of putting candles on cakes to celebrate our birthday. The number of candles usually represents the age of the birthday boy or girl, who will make a silent wish before blowing out the candles. Some said that if all the candles are blown out in one breath, the wish will come true. It is in fact a modern-day superstition of getting empowerment in life when we are making positive wishes.
| JPC Monthly Newsletter | |
| Editor： | Police Public Relations Branch, 11/F Arsenal House, Police Headquarters, No. 1 Arsenal Street, Wan Chai, HK. |
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